“Diabetes is a long-term (chronic) condition caused by too much glucose (sugar) in the blood. It is also known as diabetes mellitus.” Pg. 1
“In the UK, diabetes affects approximately 2.3 million people, and it's thought there are at least half a million more people who have the condition but are not aware of it.” Page 1
“During pregnancy, some women have such high levels of glucose in their blood that their body cannot produce enough insulin to absorb it all. This is known as gestational diabetes, and it affects approximately 2-7% of pregnant women.” Pg.1
“Pregnancy can also make existing type 1 or type 2 diabetes worse. Gestational diabetes can increase the risk of health problems in an unborn baby, so it is important to keep the levels of glucose in your blood under control.” Pg. 1
“In most cases, gestational diabetes develops in the second half of pregnancy and disappears after the baby is born.” Page 1
“However, women who develop gestational diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life.” Pg. 1
‘The exact cause of type 1 diabetes is not fully understood, although in most cases it is believed to be an auto-immune condition. This means it occurs as a result of your body's immune system mistaking a natural substance in your body as harmful, and attacking it.” Pg. 1
“In the case of type 1 diabetes, it is thought that the immune system attacks cells in your pancreas, destroying or damaging them enough to stop insulin production. It is not known exactly what triggers the immune system to do this, but it may be due to infection with a particular virus.” Pg. 1
“Type 1 diabetes tends to run in families, so there may also be a genetic cause for the auto-immune reaction. If you have a close relative, such as a parent or sibling (brother or sister) with type 1 diabetes, you have roughly a 6% chance of developing the condition yourself. The risk for people who do not have a close relative with type 1 diabetes is approximately 0.4%.” Pg. 1
“In rare cases, type 1 diabetes may be caused by a condition of the pancreas called pancreatitis. Pancreatitis causes your pancreas to become inflamed, resulting in severe damage to the cells that produce insulin.” Pg.1
"Diabetes, type 1." NHS Clinical Knowledge Summaries. NHS Choices, 26 Mar. 2007. Web. 18 Aug. 2010. http://www.cks.nhs.uk/privacy_policy.